Clarity
by Innocentenough
Summary: What she was smelling wasn't something you could buy from a shop, it was a raw masculine smell that drew out the animalistic side of her; the side that was usually only brought out when her adrenaline was pulsing in the midst of a fight. It was the smell of him. NejixSakura


So, because I'm silly I decided to write a little one-shot instead of updating ANY of the unfinished stories currently on my radar. Brilliant.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this! I don't know where it came from but I enjoyed getting a bit more descriptive with emotion etcc

Let me know what you think!

xox

The sounds were distant, an echo amongst the heavily wooded forest that calmed your nerves and cleansed your senses. The calls of various birds littered the tree tops as they chorused almost in unison, as if singing in joy at the sudden on set of heavy rain after weeks of heat and drought. An owls hoot cut through the high pitched song of the smaller birds and its deep crescendo reverberated off of the bark of the surrounding tree's, before being dulled out by the steady thrum of rain across the forest floor. The sound was soothing and repetitive, the droplets bouncing off the thousands of leaves with a soft pitter patter. Thunder rolled in the distance and the noise rumbled across the grey clouds of the sky with juddering clarity, making everything fall silent for a split second before the soft calls of nature started up again and the forest jumped back to life.

If you were unaccustomed to Anbu life or were a simple traveler you would have missed the soft footfalls of passing Nin as they darted through the tree's; a dark blur against a canvas of dulled brown and green. But they were there, they were always there, either in hiding or watching you closely, calculating with dull eyes that had been trained to betray any or all emotion.

A quiet life, a solitary life.

Rain drops trickled down the exposed skin of her arms, moving her from her thoughts as goosebumps scattered across her pale skin and his breath warmed the expanse that lay bare between her shoulder and neck. She shuddered involuntarily, trying to keep her breathing even and quiet as they waited for the other Nin to merely pass them by, but whilst he was shielding and protecting her from view, she was completely and utterly encompassed by him.

He was towering over her, his height a full head taller than her as he hunched over her petite frame, his shoulders bent awkwardly to try and conceal her completely from view. The humidity from the day was lingering and the small gap between them was becoming hotter by the second, his warm breath mingling with hers as his head lay close to her shoulder. Her heart was pounding in her ears as the forest around her started to close in and all she could see was him; his scent was starting to dull her senses. As Anbu, they weren't permitted to wear any form of perfume of cologne, but what she was smelling wasn't something you could buy from a shop, it was a raw masculine smell that drew out the animalistic side of her; the side that was usually only brought out when her adrenaline was pulsing in the midst of a fight.

It was the smell of _him._

She shifted her weight, casting her gaze over his shoulder as she suddenly remembered they were currently on a mission and getting distracted was not an option. She was jumped from her rambling thoughts by his quiet voice.

 _"You're making too much noise."_ He murmured, the movement of his mouth causing more hot air to dance across her skin and she shivered in response, a pool of pleasure building in the pit of her stomach as she squeezed her thighs tight.

"Gomen." She gasped quietly, ducking her head back behind his shoulder.

She glanced at his face, the off angle making his striking features stand out even more and she felt her heart swell at the sight. He had activated his bloodline and was currently monitoring the nin's progress as they crossed behind them quietly. There wasn't really a need to hide usually but because of the nature of their current mission it was important that other Anbu didn't know they were working this area. Sakura's hand twitched involuntarily as she felt a sudden urge to press her fingertips along the veins of his eyes, wanting to feel the chakra that ran through them and allowed him to see almost completely three hundred and sixty degrees around him.

She wondered if he felt the same, was this close proximity bothering him too? He was notoriously known throughout Konoha for having a large imaginary circle drawn around him which was his personal space and you were only allowed in if invited, but that never seemed to apply when it came to her. He was constantly holding open doors for her, catching her when she tripped, carrying her shopping for her when he would bump into her in the market, putting himself in danger on missions in front of her and asking her to dance at formal events when she would attend instead of Tsunade-sama and not know anyone there. He had always been a part of her life in the background and as a result both of their personal spaces had shrunk to almost nothing and as a Haruno, she had always liked to test peoples boundaries.

What a perfect opportunity to test his.

She had spent far too long living in the shadow of his affections and she had reached a point where waiting for him to make the first move was becoming tedious, so with a silent heavy breath and stealing her resolve, she lifted her hand and rested it gently on the muscle of his hip. She felt him tense beneath her touch, his muscles hardening in shock as his eyes widened a fraction and he frantically tried to keep his attention on keeping track of the passing Nin instead of on the tantalisingly close female that was currently slowly closing the small gap between them.

 _He wondered if she knew how he felt._

He had spent years admiring her, slowly and painfully reaching out to her until he felt entirely comfortable with her close proximity. For him, that was a success, but apparently according to Hinata he needed to do more than offer her the odd compliment here and there. He needed to _'woo'_ her, whatever the hell that meant. But judging by the way she was arching her back off of the bark of the tree so that her ample chest was pushed towards his face, it wouldn't take much effort.

His male bravado was starting to glow with pride at her subtle attempts to flirt.

Rain continued to pelt in the background, helping to disguise their scent as he covered her body with his, giving him ample opportunity to test his new found confidence. He checked on the Nin. Because they had now passed and were more than a mile away, he quietly deactivated his bloodline. A droplet of rain trickled down the wood of his Anbu mask where it sat pushed back atop his head and he felt it run down onto his exposed forehead and drip off of the edge of his nose. They were both soaked through to the bone from the weather, but the humidity from the day had lingered and combined with they're growing body heat the small gap between them was starting to get harder and harder to breath in. Sakura wasn't sure whether it was from the complex weather or the rise in tension as Neji took a small step forwards and pressed his face into the nape of her neck. She gasped lightly, her hand gripping the tight fabric of his Anbu uniform as she wrapped her other arm around his opposite hip and gripped the fabric covering his muscled back. The noise of the forest had now been drowned out by their mingled gasps of air as they relished in the brief moment of time to indulge in fantasies that had always plagued them in their dreams but had never been put into action. As ninja, opportunities like this were few and far between and if she was being honest, Sakura's patience was beginning to snap.

It had been a _long_ while since her last encounter with a man.

She carefully tilted her neck slightly, trying to invite him further as all she could think about was his perfectly sculpted mouth upon hers and her now active mind was wondering what that same mouth would feel like moving across her skin. The warmth of his lips was so close she could feel its electricity and she become almost desperate as she arched her whole body off of the tree and pressed its length against his. Without even thinking, he dipped his head to cross the final barrier between them and gently kissed his lips to the skin of her neck.

She almost collapsed from the surge of adrenaline that ran through her system.

Her chakra spiked wildly as she relished in the glow of his affection but just as she was about to throw caution to the wind he quickly backed away and she was left suddenly empty and alone, the sudden blast of cold air made her breathing come heavy and thick as she stared at him with wide green orbs. He was stood a few feet away from her, his chest heaving as he clenched his hands into fists to try and steer his emotions back into gear again. He was a gentleman and defiling a woman in the middle of the forest was not something he was comfortable with.

He was also a rather private person.

He cleared his throat, "We'll camp for the night. There's an inn not far from here, we can stay there."

Sakura frowned, "But Konoha is only a few miles away- _oh_..." She flushed with embarrassment at the situation he was suggesting. His gaze was heated and intense, a fiery arrow that was currently dashing through her pleasure clouded mind with deafening clarity.

She smiled slyly, her playful side rearing its head as she took a few purposeful steps towards him and slowly unzipped the front of her red jacket, exposing the tops of her breasts and the resulting bindings underneath. Placing her hands on her hips, she grinned up at him, "I'll race you there?"

He smiled back, his fingers twitching in anticipation.

"Challenge accepted."

xox

"Two rooms for you dear?" The innkeeper smiled warmly as she shakily scrawled something into the book ahead of her, peering over the top of her glasses as she did so.

"Just one will do, thank you." Neji replied politely, trying to disguise is heavy breathing from his quick sprint across the forest, "As private as possible, if thats all right. We've had a long trip."

Sakura blinked at his last comments, a blush flashing across her cheeks as she suddenly realised that this was really happening.

"Ah, I'm afraid the only rooms we have left are at the front of the Inn," The elderly woman replied, "they are the noisier rooms as they are above the pub." She gave them a sympathetic look.

"That will be fine." Neji replied quickly, trying to be as polite as possible, but the pleasure from earlier was still very much present and the tension between himself and the woman beside him was growing unbearably thick.

"Although," The elderly woman started, tapping a gnarled finger to he chin, "We do have a double suite over the garage outside. It hasn't been used in a while, so is a little old, but everything is in working order and it will be much quieter for you both. There is only one bed though, will that be all right?" She asked, turning to grab the keys and her walking stick.

Neji glanced down at Sakura and smiled, "That will be perfect."

The walk outside was slow in progress, the elderly woman that led them shakily using her walking stick to make her away across the cobbled entrance towards the small barn conversion that sat across from the main building and buried into the woods slightly. Sakura followed behind and Neji at the back, his steps quick and persistent as he tried to remain patient but his eyes were glued to Sakura's hips as they swayed slightly with each step she took; he couldn't quite decide whether it was deliberate or not.

Sakura clenched and unclenched her fists as she tried to ignore the handsome young man following close behind her and concentrate on something other than the burning pleasure that was currently wreaking havoc on her body. She could practically feel his burning gaze fixated on her back and she took a deep breath and shut her eyes briefly to try and alleviate some of the pressure that was beginning to build between her legs. She glanced back over her shoulder and felt her nerves peak as it suddenly dawned on her who it exactly was that she was about to bare herself too; it was _the_ Hyuuga Neji. He was one of the most sought after bachelors in Konoha and was notoriously known for turning down women left, right and centre. No one had any idea what he was like in bed and she was about to find out.

She grinned; Ino was going to _love_ this.

The old woman led them up a small flight of stairs that ran along side of the old garage, fiddling with the keys as she painstakingly tried to get them into the rusted lock of the wooden door. Neji stood close behind Sakura, his hands itching to touch her curves as he reached out with his fingertips and brushed them across her lower back gently. He heard her sharp intake of breath and noticed the way she leant back into his embrace slightly. He smiled to himself; he was rather enjoying this playful lead up. It had been a while since he had been intimate with a woman and the dry patch in his life had taken a tole on his patience; he hoped Sakura was ready as he wasn't planning on being gentle.

Finally the door was swung open and they were greeted with a quaint yet slightly dusty double room. The floorboards creaked as they entered and Sakura quickly crossed the space to throw open a window and let in some air. A cool breeze softened her posture and she breathed a sigh of relief at the soothing effect it had. She turned to see the old lady handing Neji the keys and then all of sudden she was gone, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake as she shut the door noisily and slowly made her way down the old wooden steps.

Silence echoed in the air between them.

Neji's back remained facing Sakura, his chest heaving slightly as he quietly activated his bloodline and watched the old lady retreat, waiting until she was a fair enough distance away. Sakura fidgeted nervously, wringing her hands as she shifted her weight back and forth from one foot to the other. It had been so long since she had initiated any sort of sexual contact with a man that she had almost forgotten how to do it; flirting was one thing, she was good at that, but this was a whole other ball game.

Plus it was _Neji._

"So, I guess I'll shower fir- _ooff!"_

She didn't have time to blink as she was suddenly thrown back against the adjacent wall, her back slamming into it painfully as her head ricocheted forwards, knocking the wind clear from her lungs. She opened her mouth to scream at him in anger but he was suddenly there in front of her and her open mouth was claimed by his as he gripped her head in both hands and pulled her forwards into his awaiting arms.

Her head was swimming as his hands and lips assaulted her senses. She kissed him back with an equal need to extinguish the painfully growing pleasure that was pooling in the pit of her stomach and spreading to each of her limbs until she felt like all control had been thrown out of the window and she was floating on cloud nine. His mouth danced across hers, a warm massage that made her knees weak and her heart flutter; _gods_ he was a good kisser.

She gripped his head in her hands, reciprocating his heated passion with her own as she shifted her back up the wall and hooked a leg around his waist, pressing her hips into his. A guttural noise echoed from his throat at the movement and he ground his hips back in return, pushing her roughly into the wall as his mouth left hers and drifted down the open expanse of her neck, his lips grazing her skin and causing goosebumps to ripple across its surface as he hooked his hands around her bottom and lifted her up to straddle his waist, pressing his body fully against hers to hold her against the wall as his hands continued to greedily ravage the full curve of her hips. She was moaning his name now, willing him to continue faster as her pleasure grew to almost unbearable levels.

He removed her from the wall, carrying her with him as his mouth found hers again and they stumbled back towards the bed, tripping over all manner of objects, Neji dragging the rug with him a his feet caught its edge and they fell backwards in a tumble of hands and limbs onto the soft sheets of the bed, throwing dust up around them as the bed creaked at the sudden weight.

His hands found the zipper of her jacket and he yanked it downwards as he pulled the garment off of her shoulders and threw it aside, his hands moving to her back as he started to unravel her bindings, his mouth kissing down the centre of her front until he reached her stomach and he nipped it playfully, watching her with a grin as she squirmed beneath him. Her hands were gripping the collar of his tightly fitted Anbu uniform as she tried to slip her hands beneath it and remove it herself, but Neji's insistent hands on her bindings was distracting her and with a loud groan of desperation she channeled some chakra into her hands and heaved him up and back onto his heels, sitting up to rip her bindings free from her chest before reaching forwards and ripping his top in one fell swoop of her hands. Throwing the battered garment aside she launched herself at him, straddling his hips as she once again latched her mouth onto his.

It was pure _heaven._

Like a warm bed after a cold winters day, like a cold drink when you're gasping with thirst or like the smell of freshly cut grass on the training grounds in mid-spring. The long held back emotions from the past few months had finally caught up with the pair as they basked in the flow of each others affections. The remainder of their clothes at last littered the floor and Sakura gasped as they were finally joined and rocking in motion, stars dancing behind the lids of her eyes she moaned into the nape of his neck, raking claw marks across his back and digging her fingers into the skin of his muscle, begging him to _'not stop'_ as she matched his movements as best she could, feeling a pressure build in the pit of her stomach.

Neji gripped the curve of her hips, relishing in the soft supple skin beneath his fingers as he tugged it tightly, pulling her closer to him as he pushed them both back onto the mattress of the bed. The way his name rolled off her tongue made his skin crawl with pleasure and he sped up his steady rhythm as she began to fervently chant his name, gasping and groaning as she continued to claw the skin of his shoulders, her back arching off the mattress and pressing the length of her chest against his.

The walls, armchair, shower and floor were all given the same treatment as the bed and by morning, as the sun rose and light danced across the skin of Sakura's face, wrapped tightly in his sleeping embrace, she realised that she had just satisfied every womanly desire possible and if they never spent another night together, then she could probably cope with that now she had these memories. She smiled gently, running her fingers up and down the length of his arms as he dozed peacefully, his energy now completely spent. She muffled a giggle as his now loose hair tickled her bare back and she rolled over to face him as she watched his face carefully with a hooded gaze, admiring his straight nose, plump lips and strong jawline. His famous eyes were shut and relaxed, his eyebrows raised slightly as he slept.

She smiled, readjusting into the curve of his chest as she too shut her eyes and enjoyed this rare moment of peace.

xox

Naruto stared at the pair in front of him, one eyebrow raised as he glanced over at Neji.

He blinked, "Where on _earth_ is your shirt?"

Neji politely cleared his throat, shifting his weight slightly as he avoided eye contact with the Hokage. "It ripped whilst we were traveling."

"So," Naruto started, dragging out the last syllable, "You just took it off?"

"It ripped off completely!" Sakura jumped in, trying to alleviate the nervous tension that was settling in the room. "It was rather amusing actually..." Her explanation trailed off.

Naruto sighed, rubbing his temples tiredly as he waved the two away, "Whatever. Hand over your mission reports and you are both free to go." He held out his hand expectantly as two scrolls were placed there, "Oh! Before I forget, you are both off for the next few days or until further notice. Consider it a break," He shrugged, smiling, "Make the most of it!" He winked, picking up his pen as he started signing various papers that had littered his desk, a sign that they were dismissed and free to go.

The implications of Naruto's words were not missed on the pair as they exited the Hokage tower, coming to a stop as Sakura awkwardly wrung her hands and stared at her feet, unsure of how to leave the situation. She needn't have been worried however as Neji's hand quietly wound around her waist and he leant down to whisper in her ear.

He grinned at her, "Your place or mine?"

xox

R+R!


End file.
